London in a blur

Warning - this post is out of order cos we don't now how to work blogger properly. We'll get it right eventually - @along with he pics that won't load.

So that was a quick look at London and for me, Rusty here again, the highlight was the little Vietnamese restaurant down the road from the Clink (sorry Mark, I couldn't resist :-).  Actually, though the buildings, history and art were all very impressive it was the visits to the monopoly board streets aboard the tube that I enjoyed the most - all interesting in their own way and all so accessible via a modern and efficient (at least in our experience) transport system. Perhaps Mayor Len is on to something?

Plate of the day

Andouilette.  That was the plat du jour at Pascalines in Rouen today, recommended by Lonely Planet. We went out on a limb and muddled our way through the order with the waiter, and thought how bad could it be? Awesome little mystery package of delicious french food for the hungry travellers. HA!  At first I thought it was a sausage but when cut into all the bits - the only way I can describe them - they fell out. And the smell, which kept wafting get up from the plate to assault my nostrils. I could not eat it. Russ, not one to waste to a dollar - he'd absolutely agree - chewed through his mostly because it wasn't until the end of the meal that I found the description of what he was eating in the menu decoder of the phrase book  - PIGS INTESTINES.   (and then he wished I hadn't told him :0) To be perfectly honest at first i seriously thought it was some awful joke being played by the chef to 'punish the English swine' (nobody really cares that we're from novelle zoolond) I really thought this chef hates us, whoever he is, and yes, I was getting a mite distressed that someone  might be serving me a dish kept only for 'special' English speaking customers. But no people, it was on the menu. So after a good laugh once safely outside the restaurant and making no eye contact and some sort of feeble attempt at an apology to the waiter for not touching my andouillette, I dragged Russ back to the boulangerie and patisserie for a tarte du frais (strawberry tart).

Paris by Stair

Another day, another hostel. This time we're in Montmartre, one of Paris's outer burbs and home to the Sacre Couer (a large modern cathedral perched on one of the highest points in Paris), and, at least while they were alive, and for a time - Salvador Dali and Modigliani.  Our hostel is again a little quirky (this may not be the most accurate description) with our room 85 steps up from the lobby and no lift! This, when combined with the 180 steps up to the Sacre Couer for a night ime view of the Either tower means our calves are getting a good workout.  Needless to say you only go to your room to sleep!

London calling and the clink is answering

So, its Rusty here, after the inevitably long journey we both arrived safely only to promptly end up in the Clink for 3 Nights!  Now before you get to worried the Clink is an old jail in Kings Cross that's been converted into a hostel. Our room is an actual cell, and feels like it to - two bunks and about 6 square metres with a big arse steel door.

So off sightseeing we go... and home to the Clink we come with happy memories and feckin sore feet.  No hop on hop off bus for us!  Westminster Abbey - tick, Buckingham palace - tick, big Ben - tick, natural history museum -tick. I think you get my drift.

T -1 day

Making the final arrangements.....